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Tampa Bay will keep Rob Zettler busy behind Syracuse Crunch's bench

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Rob Zettler, right, is expected to return as head coach of the Syracuse Crunch in 2013-14 while the team will likely have to replace assistant Marty Raymond, left.
(Kevin Rivoli | krivoli@syracuse.com)

Although an open spot remains behind the bench in Tampa Bay, it appears that Rob Zettler will keep calling the shots in Syracuse next season.

Lightning assistant general manager Julien BriseBois confirmed on Wednesday that Zettler will remain head coach of the Crunch in 2013-14. BriseBois indicated that a currently vacant Tampa Bay assistant coach's job will be filled with someone else.

The link between that assistant's job and Zettler sparked obvious conjecture because Tampa Bay head coach Jon Cooper and Zettler are close friends. Cooper is the former head coach of the Crunch who hired Zettler last summer.

When Cooper was promoted to head coach of Tampa Bay earlier this season, Zettler got the top spot in Syracuse. Zettler took over and kept an already strong team on course to reach the Calder Cup Finals.

Zettler is also a former NHL assistant with San Jose and Toronto.

"He's the head coach here. That's our plan going forward,'' BriseBois said. "I think we got the most out of the team. He was a long-time assistant who was ready to be a head coach. He was organized, he knew what to do, he was pro-active.''

Zettler said he appreciates the chance to run his own team.

"This is a great opportunity for me here to be the head guy,'' he said Wednesday.

BriseBois said there is no timetable to name the new assistant in Tampa Bay.

"We have lots of different (candidates),'' he said.

The Crunch might also be in the market for a new assistant, to replace Marty Raymond. Raymond came down from an assistant's job in Tampa Bay when Cooper went up.

"I know he's got a lot of options,'' BriseBois said. "I know a number of teams have contacted me, a number of teams have contacted him. He told them all he didn't want to talk until after the playoffs. We're lucky he came in and helped us. He's a big part of what ended up being a nice run in Syracuse.''